This is the third of the PERC Straight Talk
videos being debuted weekly by Fleets & Fuels

Most of the more than 70 propane autogas vehicles operated by ThyssenKrupp Elevator in five states are Ford E-sries vans with dedicated engine equipment by Roush CleanTech.

ThyssenKrupp Elevator is the largest producer of elevators in the Americas and one of the leading elevator companies globally, and “is an industry leader in sustainable vertical transportation,” says PERC.

The company began evaluating alterative fuels in 2010 and has picked propane autogas, Armstrong says, for “five Cs” – it’s clean, enables conservation, is cost-effective, makes common sense, and is something his firm could commit to.

ThyssenKrupp fleet manager Tom Armstrong

“The propane autogas price per gallon doesn’t really flow with the market, with the ups and downs that you see with gas and diesel,” Armstrong says. “It maintains a more steady line.”

The ThyssenKrupp propane autogas fleet displaces about 2,000 gallons of gasoline per vehicle each year, saving $4,152 per vehicle in fuel costs.

ThyssenKrupp Elevator will continue to add new vehicles and markets with the goal of operating 10% of its entire fleet on propane autogas by 2015 – about 300 vehicles, Armstrong says. Target markets include Dallas, Sacramento, and San Francisco.

Armstrong has been fleet manager with ThyssenKrupp for more than 12 years. In 2011, he was named to Green Fleet magazine’s “Sustainability All-Stars” list for his company’s efforts to reduce emissions with alternative fuels.